


Die Schatten Werden Länger

by Miss_Spectre



Category: Elisabeth, Elisabeth - Das Musical, Elisabeth - Levay/Kunze
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Austria, Bi-Gender Character(s), Death, Everyone Is Gay, Falling In Love, Fluff and Smut, Forbidden Love, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Knives, M/M, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Harm, Self-Hatred, well probably rather Bi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 03:53:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9956762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Spectre/pseuds/Miss_Spectre
Summary: Modern AU.Death made it a habit to pay Rudolf a visit every time he feels down and hurt. But this time is different. Death stays with him and they get to know each other.[Concerning the archive warning "Major Character Death" - I'm not right sure about killing Rudolf, yet. But if it might happen along the way of the story - you're hereby warned.]





	1. A Familiar Stranger

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Talk German to me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6191224) by [SheenaWilde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheenaWilde/pseuds/SheenaWilde). 
  * Inspired by [A Footnote to a Fading Era](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1874022) by [Farrowe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farrowe/pseuds/Farrowe). 
  * Inspired by [A Friend And A Lover](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147484) by [ginkyou](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ginkyou/pseuds/ginkyou). 



Rudolf was sitting in his room. He felt miserable. He'd felt miserable for a damn long time now. And he was alone. Most of the time he was drinking and visiting strip clubs, to get rid of the lingering feeling of loneliness and despair. But tonight he couldn't even get himself to leave his apartment.  
In his hand was a knife. He'd received it as a gift, years ago from some friend of the family and always carried it with him. Its handle was made of ebony. It was ornamented and decorated. The blade was silver. On many lonely nights he'd pressed its sharp blade against the soft skin of his arm until blood came dripping out.  
It eased the pain just as the booze and the women did. Perhaps even better. His left arm was covered in scars by the time he turned thirty. Except for the whores no one knew and the whores didn't care about it.  
His eyes moved over the mess on his desk. Slowly he reached out his hand to grab a bottle of gin. It was almost empty and he drank what was left in it. Mellow blues music was playing in the background.  
He put the empty bottle back on his desk and again looked at the knife in his hand. It was beautiful. Somewhen he'd learned that everything that was beautiful was made to hurt. His mother had been the first and most beautiful thing he'd encountered in his life and she was also the one who had hurt him the most. When she left him he had cried for days and there had been a feeling inside his chest like his heart had been torn apart.  
He'd had relationships and affairs with women who were much too beautiful to actually be interested in him and all of them had left him sooner or later. Every time he'd been hurt because everytime he'd been pouring too much of his heart into these relationships and the women had cast him away as if he wasn't even a person but an old book or something else that was utterly worthless. And every time it had hurt like the first time. Every time it had felt as if his heart had been torn apart once again.

He knew that using this dagger meant calling for an old friend. When his mother had left him and he had felt alone and hurt he'd met him for the first time.  
Suddenly this stranger had been there, waiting in the shadows, watching over him. At his young age he hadn't cared much for the stranger with the long white hair who was clad all in black. But over the years he'd noticed that he always appeared, lurking in the shadows but never talking to him, when Rudolf hurt the most, hurt himself. Death was there. At first Rudolf instinctively wanted to run from him, but he learned that he couldn't. Death was faster than all of Rudolf's cars. No matter where he went, Death was always there, waiting for him. And so he'd somehow grown fond of him being there in the shadows. He even began to tell him what had happened, every time they met. So Death was often the only one who would listen to him, although he never gave an answer. Perhaps, and that seemed like a painful truth to Rudolf, he was his only true friend.

The blade felt cold against his skin. He gripped the handle tighter and quickly moved the blade over his skin, pressing the cold metal against it. It was sharp enough to dig into his skin and cut it open as soon as he moved it across his arm. For a short moment he felt a sharp pain. Blood started to drip out of the fresh wound. A grin crept on his lips. Another cut and another wound, another flash of - physical - pain and more blood running down his arm. Slowly his pain, the one deep inside his chest, began to recede.  
Rudolf didn't need to turn his head to know that he was there. He could feel the presence of Death in his apartment. But he turned around anyway.  
Death was sitting on his couch, the lamp on Rudolf's desk was the only source of light in the otherwise dark room. The familiar stranger was wrapped in shadows, only his hair was ghostly white in the dim light.  
Rudolf got up, walked over to Death and knelt down on the ground next to the man sitting on his couch. He laid his hands on Death's right leg and let his head rest onto his hands.  
Death grabbed Rudolf's left arm – the one with the fresh wounds – and pulled him up.  
“My prince, do you remember that, when you were a little boy, I told you that I'd always be there?” Death's voice was soft. Rudolf sat now next to him on his couch. Instead of warmth there was coldness radiating from Death.  
“I never forgot about you,” he answered, his voice was kinda husky for he hadn't spoken all day, since he'd remained alone in his apartment and his thoughts. Slowly he reached out his left hand, laying it on Death's right one, he looked up at the stranger, meeting his steel blue eyes. They were as cold as his skin felt under Rudolf's touch.  
“I came because you needed me,” Death grabbed Rudolf's wrist and turned his arm so that he could see the new wounds. Then he reached out with his other hand, taking the knife which Rudolf was still holding in his right hand. Death studied the weapon, a grin was creeping onto his lips. His eyes started wandering over the scars on Rudolf's arm.  
“All this pain and you never had the strength to end it all,” he chuckled. Rudolf also looked down at his arm. There were many scars. He never cut with the direction of his veins, as he didn't want to kill himself. Not yet, at least. Although he felt like his hands were bound, like he couldn't change anything about his life and what was happening anyway. But for now he wanted the physical pain that would take this inner pain of his away.  
Death's cold hand was still wrapped around his wrist. He'd put the knife aside and let the fingers of his other hand trace over Rudolf's scars.  
“All these times we met,” Death murmured. Rudolf was unsure what to do. It was the first time that Death got so close to him, even talked to him. Would this be their last meeting? He looked down at his arm, there was still blood spilling out of the wounds he'd inflicted on himself. They were deeper than the usual ones which would have stopped bleeding by now.  
“Will you take me with you?” he asked shyly. Death looked up and met the young man's eyes.  
“Oh no, I can't. I can't just take you with me. You need to do that yourself,” he glanced at Rudolf's arm, “but I can stay with you for a while, if you want me to, my prince.”  
“Yes, please,” Rudolf nodded eagerly. Death's cold fingers were still tracing over his scars, tracing through the blood that was still spilling out of the fresh wounds. He looked at the fresh blood on his fingers, shrugged, lifted his hand and licked it off.  
His eyes met Rudolf's, he winked at him, lifted the young man's arm and licked over the fresh wounds. The blood was gone. The wounds were sealed. Again he met Rudolf's eyes. Fear and amazement lay in them.  
“How?” Rudolf gasped and looked first at his arm and then back to Death.  
“I have many talents, my prince,” Death smirked. He reached out his hand and stroked through Rudolf's brown hair.  
“Well,” he let go of the young man and leaned back on the couch, getting into a comfortable position, “tell me. Tell me everything. All the reasons for this,” he nodded at the scars covering Rudolf's arm like a silver ornament.  
And Rudolf told him. He told Death about everything that worried him, told him more than he had throughout the years. Death was listening, as he always had been. But this time he sometimes posed a question. And Rudolf happily answered it. He'd grown fond of the presence of Death over the years and he knew that, sooner or later, he would join him in his realm.  
Their talk lasted for hours. Rudolf had laid down on the couch, his head resting on the lap of Death.  
Somewhen Death had begun to stroke Rudolf's neck and now let his fingers gently trace over the young man's jawline. Death rarely ever stayed for such a long time in the presence of humans whose lives he didn't intend to take away. But he enjoyed the company of Rudolf. He had enjoyed seeing him grow up and fond of him, something that had never happened to him, since all the humans who had known of his true identity had always feared him and eventually given in to the fear and killed themselves.  
Rudolf was different, he seemed to accept the pain and hurt that his life put him through. And Death himself had grown fond of his human friend, he liked listening to him speak about his fears.  
Now their eyes were locked, they had stopped talking. Rudolf sat up and hesitantly laid his hand on Death's shoulder. Death was still tracing Rudolf's jawline, he could feel the other man shudder due to his cold touch.

Rudolf reached up and grabbed Death's hand, their fingers intertwining. He slowly moved closer to him, their faces merely inches apart now. Death was radiating coldness which made him shudder. Again he met Death's cold blue eyes, there was something sparkling in them. If Death were human Rudolf would be sure that it was desire. But he wasn't sure. His eyes wandered over the perfect features of Death's face. He hadn't changed. After all these years he looked just the same as when he had come to him after his mother had left. Rudolf slowly lifted his other hand and gently let his fingers trace over Death's cheek, down to his neck. The other man's skin felt ghostly cold under his fingers. Cold, but perfectly soft.

Death held back an impatient sigh, after all it wasn't the first time that he'd been with a human so he knew that he was some kind of enigma to them. And he knew that in his heart Rudolf was still this scared little boy that Death had met 25 years ago. So he was patient and let the other do. Rudolf's touch felt almost burning hot on his cold skin and he was yearning to kiss the young man's lips, to feel them.  
“I have to admit that I enjoy your company, my prince,” he purred, leaning in on his friend so that his lips were at least brushing against Rudolf's cheek, giving the other man a hint of his intentions. When Rudolf didn't back away he planted a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth, before shortly looking up and meeting the other's eyes. They were dark with desire. Death smirked. Just in that moment Rudolf pulled him close and kissed him. It was a hungry kiss. Something both of them had probably been yearning to do for years. When they broke their kiss Rudolf was panting, but when his eyes met Death's they were shining. And a confused look laid on his face.  
“Shouldn't I be dead?”  
Death chuckled softly. “No, my prince, that's not how it works.” It was only half of the truth. Normally the ones that he kissed died, because he wanted them to. But Rudolf was far too precious as that he would take his life away right here and now.  
He stroked back a strand of brown hair that had fallen into the young man's face and met his eyes. They were dark blue, like the sea on a stormy day. Death was still stroking through Rudolf's hair, it felt soft beneath his fingers. There lay a true and actually somewhat happy smile on Rudolf's lips, so Death leaned in on him again and kissed him gently. The other's lips were soft and warm and he was melting into the kiss. Rudolf wrapped his arms around Death's neck and straddled his lap. Death let his hands wander over the back of the young man and pulled him closer into the kiss.


	2. Death's Embrace

Death had wrapped his cold arms around Rudolf and pulled him closer to himself. They had broken their kiss and Rudolf's head was resting on Death's shoulder. Death could feel the other man's warm breath rolling over the skin of his neck. Holding his human friend, feeling the warmth of his body warm him, it all made him feel very alive.  
He had to admit that he cared about the young man. Throughout the years he had developed an interest in Rudolf's life. Perhaps that was the reason why he always had shown up when he had been down. Death enjoyed the company of him. He had never before met any human who had trusted him the way Rudolf did. Something he found rather strange, cause after all – if there was anything certain in life then it was that everyone would have to face him, Death.

Rudolf had laid his head on Death's shoulder, his breathing had slowed down again and he was feeling calm. The pain he'd felt earlier this evening had completely faded away. There was a warm feeling inside his chest now. And even if Death's arms were cold, it felt good that he was holding him. Rudolf couldn't recall the last time someone had actually hugged him. It felt like years had passed since he had ever let someone this close. Not just physically – but also mentally. He had never opened up to someone about his whole life and his feelings the way that he had opened up to Death.  
“ _What a strange thought, actually_ ,” it struck him. But Death made him feel safe, probably because dying was the only thing guaranteed in life. But there was more to the company of Death. There was this warm feeling in his chest.. He moved his head closer to Death's neck, gently kissing the other man's skin. Death let out a soft moan. Rudolf smiled. He went on kissing the neck of his friend, slowly moving up.

Death couldn't hold back another moan. Rudolf's kisses seemed to leave a burning trail on his skin, and they felt good. Like little marks of life. The thought made him smile and he let his head fall back, enjoying the kisses Rudolf planted on his skin. His eyes were closed, he was enjoying the moment. Some humans had tried to charm him into letting them live, so he had enjoyed them pleasuring him, but none of them had actually wanted him. They had feared for the lives, like a rabbit who saw a bird of prey circling above itself. They couldn't flee and he never let them.  
But Rudolf was different. He didn't caress Death because he expected his life in return – Death was pretty sure that if he would ask Rudolf to join him, the other man gladly would – no, he seemed to do it because it was pleasing him as well. Death could feel Rudolf smile against his neck every time a moan escaped his lips.

Rudolf pulled away and looked at Death. His head was still leaned back against the backrest of the couch, his eyes were closed. He looked almost as if he was sleeping. Rudolf lifted up his left hand and gently stroked through Death's long white hair, before bending down again and meeting Death's lips in a tender kiss. He was still amazed how cold Death was, but how human he felt apart from the cold. Again he moved away a bit and looked at Death. His eyes were still closed, but a crooked smile lay on his lips now. Rudolf pressed his right hand against Death's chest - and startled.  
“You have no heartbeat!” he gasped.

Death opened his eyes and looked at the young man. He couldn't help but chuckle.  
“My sweet prince, I'm Death – what did you expect?” he met the eyes of his friend and noticed the confused and slightly scared look that laid in them, “of course I'm not _alive_.”  
He was holding Rudolf's gaze. The other nodded slowly, as if he was understanding what Death had just said and then chuckled as well.  
“Yeah, of course,” the confused look had disappeared from his face. He had lifted his hand and was now carefully caressing Death's features, tracing his jawline with his fingers, letting them wander over his cheek and up to his temples. Then he bend down again and kissed Death again. It was a playful kiss. Death closed his eyes again. For a moment he'd been scared that him being Death and therefore well .. dead, could've scared Rudolf. But, still planting tender kisses all over Death's face and neck, Rudolf didn't seem like he was scared.  
There was a feeling spreading inside of Death's chest. It was a strong feeling. And he was sure that, if his heart would still beat, this feeling would've made it beat faster. Rudolf had stopped kissing him once again and Death opened his eyes, meeting the stormy blue eyes of his friend. Their faces were only inches apart.

Rudolf looked at Death, his steel blue eyes looked more vivid than before. They were still filled with desire, but somehow there was more now. He kissed the other one again, it was a ravenous kiss, their tongues playing hungrily with each other. As if it had been decades not seconds since their last kiss. Rudolf knew that his heart was racing. He dug his hands deep into the other man's hair and melted into the kiss.

Death had begun to open Rudolf's shirt, his cold hands evoking shivers, along with moans, from the young man. Slowly and carefully he opened button by button. He liked to feel Rudolf growing impatient. Another grin crept onto his lips. Humans were such impatient beings. All life long they were impatient, only when he came to meet them – usually the first and only visit he payed them – then their impatience was gone. Only then. He shook away his thoughts and focused on unbuttoning the young man's shirt again. Rudolf was now, vice versa, opening Death's shirt. Of course he was quicker. But Death didn't mind.

Rudolf looked at Death in awe. The black shirt was open and revealed Death's upper body. He was toned and his skin was as ghostly white as marble. He even reminded Rudolf of these perfect marble figures he'd seen in Rome. Carefully he let his hands wander over Death's cold skin. Then he leaned down again and kissed the newly exposed skin, evoking another soft moan from Death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm switching back and forth between their views, so it changes after each break. 
> 
> Sorry for the kinda short chapter. I'm still not sure whether I'll write the sex part - so there you go, have some more fluff!

**Author's Note:**

>  **I. It's a modern AU because: ******  
> 1\. I'm not that familiar with the history of the real people.  
>  a) I'm too lazy to research everything to stay historically accurate if I continue this.  
> b) Yeah, I don't wanna write historically inaccurate things, but history shall not be what keeps me from continuing a fic, so let's just set it in the modern world.  
> 2\. I'm not that familiar with the "actual" plot anymore, as it's been a while since I watched the (movie of the) musical. And this work is mainly inspired by one scene anyway.  
> Ah yes, I still let Death call Rudolf "prince". (I think it's kinda cute.)
> 
>  **II. It's mainly inspired by: ******  
> 1\. This video and the tension between the actors (just kiss for God's sake!)  
>  _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ9BfdsaYZ0 ___  
> 2\. This video - I like the way Death looks there a lot more:  
>  _https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9hFnlJIMNY ___  
> 3\. The works listed at the beginning (my god, I've been writing on my academic paper all through the last days that I got so used to setting footnotes that I felt kinda tempted to do the same here. Anyway, you have my inspiration for this work listed. I'll keep that list up to date.)
> 
> **III. Please leave me some reviews. ******  
> 


End file.
